Uncoupling device.



G. A. CARSGADIN & G. A. WOODMAN.

UNCOUPLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 17, 191s.

Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

FFCE.

CHARLES A. CARSCADIN AND GEORGE A. WOODMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

UNCOUPLING DEVICE,

Specification of Letters atent.

Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that we, CHARLES A. Cans- CADIN and GEORGE A. VOODMAN, citizens of the United States, both residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Uncoupling Devices, of which the following is a specitication.

Our invention relates in general to uncoupling devices such as are in use upon railway cars and the like, and aims to provide a new and improved means Jfor lifting the locking pin of a coupler of any of the ordinary types.

One of the principal objects of our invention is to provide a car uncoupling device which may be operated from the side of the car and which willbe so constructed that the operatingr rod may be connected directly to the locking pin ot' the Coupler` obviating thereby the use of chains, links and clevises which are at present employed in ina-.ly forms of devices of this character to connect.

`the operating rod to the locking pin of the coupler. The use of uncoupling devices employing these members to connect the operating rod to the locking pin of the coupler has subjected the railway companies to considerable annoyance and expense by reason of the theft ot these parts, which has thereby rendered the uncoupling device inoperative and required the brakeman to enter between the cars to couple or uncouple them at great risk to himself and in violation of the regulations of the railway commission.

Our invention aims to overcome this and other disadvantages by providing a new and improved uncoupling device wherein all ,of the parts which can be easily and surreptitiously removed will be eliminated, and which at the same time can be readily applied tothe car and easily operated.

Further aims and advantages of our invention will be apparent as it is better understood from Athe following description which, taken in connection with the accom-` panying drawing, discloses two preferred embodiments thereof.

Onthe drawing: Figurel isatop plan View of a portion of a car and coupler provided with an uncoupling device embodying our invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a bracket and sliding link which to gather form the esffeirisible member provided to connect the operating rod to the car; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the bracket and link shown in Fig. 2; Fig. fl is a vertical central sectional view taken through the bracket to more particularly disclose the link; Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the link, and Fig. C is a vertical central sectional view oi a slightly modied torni of bracket.

rl`he invention comprises broadly an operating rod l0, a bracket 11 and an extensible member 12, said bracket and member being fastened to the car and embracing the rod so that the rod may slide transversely of the car.

In the present instance the operating rodV is connected directly to thc locking pin of the coupler by an arm 13 extending outwardly from the car at right Aangles to the body portion of the rod and inserted through the eye 14 of the locking pin 1:3 ot' the coupler 1G. The end of the arm 13 is bent., as shown, aty 1T to extend rearwardly of the locking pin so that the operating rod may not be disconnected from' the locking pin when the parts are in operative position upon the car. The bracket 11 through which the operating rod is disposed is fastened to the end ot' the car at 18 adjacent one side, so that the operating arm 19 at the end of the body portion of the rod adjacent the side of the car may be operated Without re quiring that the brakeman enter between the cars to couple and uncouple them. rlhe bracket 11 is of the ordinary construction except that the aperture 21, through which the operating rod is disposed, is appropriately enlarged to permit the operating rod to move angnlarly about the bracket, as will be later described.

The extensible member 12 in the present instance comprises a bracket 22 fixed to the car by means of bolts 23 near the 'junction of the body portion of the rod with the lifting arm 13, and a slide or link 24 slidably mounted in the bracket l2 to move longitudinally substantially in a horizontal plane toward and from the car. The body portion of the operating rod is disposed through the link Q4 so that the link and bracket Q2 together Jform means for slidably securing the inner end of the rod to the car body and together these elements constitute an extensible member which restrains Vthe movement of the rod to a horizontal plane about a pivotal `renter in the bracket 21. The bracket 22, as .shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 comprises a back plate 25, from which two parallel integral arms 26 extend outwardly. The opposed faces of these arms are arcuately curved transversely to provide the guiding recesses 2, the outer ends of which are closed by' shoulders 28. The link 24 in the. present instance is rectangular in cross section, as will be seen by comparing Figs. 2 and', and is of appropriate hei ht'to fit loos'ely between the two shoulde s 28 of the arms 26. Two oppositely disposed outwardly extending lugs 29 are provided at the inner end of the link to loosely fit within the recesses 27 in position to engage the shoulders 28 vand prevent the link from being pulled out of the bracket 22. The arms 26 and the link 24 are given suflicient lengt-h to permit movement of the operating rod toward and from the car end an amount greater than' the maximum range of travel of the locking pin lengthwise of Athe car. Upon opposite sides of the link near the lugs 29 are provided recesses 31 which permit the link to be inserted within the bracket 22 when the uncoupling device is assembled. The distance between the inner edges of these recesses is such that the link may be turned about its longitudinal axis when the recesses 3l aline with the shoulders 28 to bring the lugs 29 into and out of the recesses 27. To assemble the device, the link is inserted between the arms 26 with the lugs disposed substantially' in a horizontal plane untilithe recesses 31 aline with the shoulders.28. The link is then given a quarter turn about its longitudinal axis into operative position to dispose the lugs 29 behind the shoulders 28.

lt will lie-apparent as the recesses 31 are located at the inner end of the link and the shoulders 2S at the outer ends of the arms that;` the recesses and shoulders can only aline when the link and bracket are in eX-l treme extended relation. This position is rarely attained in service and never when the ears are at rest, so lthat when the operating rod is disposed through the link, and the link 24 and bracket 22 operatively positioned on the car, they can notbe disconnected rvfithout removing either the locking pin from" the coupler or the bracket 22 from the car. The preferable normal relative relation between the operating rod, and the link and bracket 22 is shown in Fig. 2 in which the rod is disposed just inwardly of the ends'y of been stated, the link and arms are given suicient lengt-h to prevent the operating rod from moving the link throughout its maximum travel. lVhen the parts are operatively connected, the operating rod prevents the turning of the link, even should the recesses 31 be alined with the shoulders 28, throughout a sulicient angle to permit the lugs 29 to clear the side edges of the recesses 27 in the arms.

In Fig. 6 a slightly modified form 32 of bracket is provided. In this bracket the link is adapted to be inserted through a suitable opening 33 in the back plate 25. This arrangement, of course, obviates the necessity of providing the recesses 31 in the link. When the bracket is constructed in this manner the link is inserted endwise through the opening 33 before the bracket is fastened to the car and before the operating rod is spects the construction and operation of this modified form of bracket member is identical with that of the bracket member 26.

If desired, openings 34 may be provided in the lower arm to permit substances, such as snow, ice, dust and the like, which might collect and prevent the etlicient action of the uncoupling device to be swept from beas the coupler is moved with respect to the car 1n service.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing without further description and it is obvious that various changes may be made in the arrangement and form of the parts without departing hereinbefore disclosed being merely prefferred embodiments thereof.

Vire claim;

l. An uncoupling `device .for railway cars comprising a substantially horizontal operating rod secured to the car and havin an end adapted to be connect-ed to the loc ing #pin of the coupler, and means for securing The operating rod to the car, said means wcdmprising a pair of bearing brackets for thi operating rod, one of said brackets being provided with a guideway'extending transversely of said operatingrod and a slide working in said guideway and carrying said operating rod.

2. An uncoupling device for railway'cars comprising a substantially horizontal operating rod secured to the car and having a lifting arm adapted to be connected with the locking pin of the coupler, andv means for securing the operating rod to the ear, said means comprising a pair of bearing brackets for the operating rod, one of .said bearing brackets being provided with a guideway threaded through the link. In all other refrom the Spirit or scope of the invention ourv sacrificing any of its advantages, the forms tween the arms by the movement of the link f disposed transversely of the operating rod and-a slide working in said guideway and carrying said operating rod, said slide being provided with a longitudinal slot throufrh which said rod extends.

3. n uncoupling device for railway cars comprising an operating rod adapted to be secured to a car and to be connected to the locking pin of the coupler, and means for securing the operating rod to the car comprising a -member having a pair of outwardly extending arms and adapted to be fastened to the car, and an element embracing said rod and slidably mounted between sald arms to move longitudinally thereof.

4. An uncoupling device for railway cars comprising an operating rod adapted to be secured to a car and be connected to the locking pin of the coupler, and means for securing the operating rod to the car comprising a member for retaining the rod in position and having a pair of outwardly extending arms adapted to be fastened to the car, and a link slidably mounted between said arms to move longitudinally thereof and adapted t0 embrace the said rod.

5. An uncoupling device for railway cars comprising an operating rod adapted to bc secured to a car and be connected to the locking pinof the coupler, and means for securing the operating rod to the car comprising a member having a pair of out- Wardly-extending arms adapted to be secured to the car between which the said rod is movable horizontally when the parts are in position, and a slidable member for restraining excessive movement of said rod outwardly of said arms, said member being mounted to slide between the arms.

6. An uncoupling device for railway cars comprising an operating rod adapted to be secured to a car and be connected to the locking pin of the coupler,r and means for securing the operating rod to the car comprising a member having a pair of outwardly Aextending arms provided with opposed longitudinally disposed recesses, a link slidably mounted between the arms and adapted to embrace said rod, and means` carried by the link loosely and slidably disposed in said recesses for engaging the end walls of the recesses to prevent removal of the link, without removing said member -from the car or the locking pin from the coupler.

7. An uncoupling device for railway cars comprisingrn operating rod adapted to be secured to a car and be connected to the locking pin of the coupler, and means for securing the operating rod to the car comprising a member having a pair of outwardly disposed arms, a link mounted to slide freely longitudinally of and between said arms and adapted to embrace the said rod, adjacent faces of the said arms and link being formed to present removal of the link, without removing said member from the car or the locking pin from the coupler.

CHARLES A. GARSCADIN. GEORGE A, WOODMAN.

Witnesses z J. C. CARPENTER, M. A. Kmnm.

Copies ot this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

